


Newt Scamander X Reader - Only Friend

by writeyouin



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14153475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeyouin/pseuds/writeyouin
Summary: This story follows a muggle-born reader through her time at Hogwarts where she meets Newt Scamander, a young boy struggling with the wizarding world's treatment of magical creatures; how will their time at Hogwarts end?





	1. First Encounters

**First Year**

Your heavy bag weighed you down as you pelted down yet another identical hallway to your next Charms class. If you didn’t hurry, then you would most certainly be late once again and that was something that you really couldn’t afford right now. You constantly tried to be a good student but with all the moving staircases, trick doors, and such, it really didn’t take much to disorient a clumsy student such as yourself.

As time marched forward, you pressed on, struggling to keep pace as you ran out of breath. It was when you ran around a corner that you slammed into another student. Both his books and yours skidded across the stone floor.

“S-sorry.” The boy stuttered, hurrying to reach his scattered notes with shaking hands.

“No, it was my fault, I’m sorry.” You apologised, helping gather everything up, no longer caring if you were late to your lesson; you had always been raised to believe that if you created a mess then you should stop and help fix it.

The boy couldn’t find the words to respond. Nobody had ever apologised to him before, mainly because they all found him to be weird. It surely meant that you didn’t know who he was then because no one in their right mind would apologise to the “Freak of Hogwarts” Newt Scamander.

You looked down to his books, the main titles were ones such as, “The Heroism of Killing a Creature” by Vladimir Greystock, “The Only Uses of Animal Parts” by Henrietta Bagmiles, and “The Trapping of Magical Creatures” by Elie & Brunhilda Gardham.

“Jeez, that’s a lotta books about killing creatures. Why do you want to hunt them so badly?”

Newt was taken aback by the question, it meant that unlike the other students, you really didn’t know who he was or about his interest in preserving the lives of magical creatures, “I- I don’t. I-it’s just that the material on magical c-creatures is somewhat sparse and the only people who know w-where they are do so b-because they h-hunt them. I-I-I’m going to change that.”

It was only after the bold statement that Newt lost his little confidence again, he was awaiting the taunting laughter, name calling, or some other such manner of teasing; perhaps a hex or jelly-legs jinx of some form.

“Wow,” you beamed a toothy grin, “That’s really cool. I’m (Y/N).”

You stuck out your hand, Newt recoiled momentarily, wary of some new form of prank. You waited patiently and after about a minute he gently grasped your hand, you shook it heartily. For a fleeting second Newt dared to look you in the eye, he was astounded when he found your gaze to hold no malice or contempt, just genuine happiness that he had shook your hand.

“So, do you have a name or am I stuck to calling you new friend?”

“F-friend?”

“Yep, we shook on it, didn’t we?”

“R-right. I’m Newt Scamander.”

“Newt? That’s a funny name.”

“F-funny?”

“Yeah, I like it though. Muggles don’t have names like that, but I’m finding that a lot of witches and wizards have great names like that.”

“You’re muggle-born?”

You nodded, unashamed, despite some of the mean comments you had received due to your heritage; it seemed that you were one of only a small handful of muggle students, perhaps that would one day change.

“It’s okay though,” You beamed with pride, “because I’m in Hufflepuff and they haven’t had much to say about it. Hey, check out your tie, I guess you’re in Hufflepuff too. How come I haven’t seen you in the common room before?”

“Oh, I um, I usually spend time in the l-library. S-so who bullies you? Is it the S-slytherins?”

“Hmm, no, not in particular. It’s mostly Gryffindors, I guess all that bravery gives them something to hide behind. We’ll see how they hide from a good hit in the nose though, see ‘em try to magic their way out of that. Say, are we going to just sit on the floor and talk or are we going to head somewhere comfier? How about the common room?”

Newt swallowed, he had never had a friend, not even one in his own house. If you were truly his friend then surely, he could confide something, albeit something small, other things would come later, “I don’t f-find the common room to be all that c-comfortable.”

“Oh… Well how about the owlery? Since you like animals so much. I’d say the paddock but I’m not supposed to be seen right now, seeing how I’m accidentally missing class right now, never mind though. Better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

“Okay… The owlery then.”

* * *

 

**Second Year**

It had taken almost an entire year but Newt finally stopped stuttering around you. Mostly. To say he had a small crush on you would be an understatement. He adored the way you listened to all his ramblings, even when they just tapered off into a comfortable silence. Then there was the way you always remained loyal to him despite what the others told you about his strange ways, although he wished you weren’t so confrontational about it. Once someone had cursed him with a spell that made him trip into the mud whenever he tried to walk. By the time you found him, there was quite a crowd gathered and you had received a detention for punching the boy who had done it as well as throwing his wand into the lake; it took the teaches quite the effort to convince the merpeople to give it back. Another thing that added to Newt’s adoration of you was the many times you’d covered for him with the other teachers; Newt would often wander into the Forbidden Forest until the late hours of the night, it was at these times that you would create some excuse of where he really was or what he was doing.

As a way of thanks, Newt had taken you to the Forbidden Forest more than once to show you some of the creatures he had met. On occasion, you would help him build nests for the various unusual creatures that inhabited it. You even sometimes helped write notes on the creatures’ behaviours and lifestyles.

Newt couldn’t tell you his feelings of course. If he did that would surely be the end of him. He expected that a hole would appear on the ground to swallow him up; after all, stranger things had been known to happen.

“Newt?” You approached him in the owlery, disrupting his many wonderings.

“(Y/N)!” He squeaked, falling off the wall he had been perched on.

You snickered, offering a hand to help your fallen comrade.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“I looked for you in the paddock but you weren’t there so I rushed over here instead.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friend and today’s super important.”

“It is?”

You eyed up Newt incredulously, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”

“Forgotten what?”

You shook your head in disbelief, then pulled a card out of your cloak, “Happy Birthday Newt.” You rejoiced loudly, sending a couple of the owls into a panicked frenzy.

Fresh tears hit the back of Newt’s eyes as he took the card with tentative hands. He never made much of a fuss on his birthday since nobody else did, you on the other hand had been planning the day for months, awaiting it with eager anticipation.

“Come on, open it, open it, open it.” You bounced up and down on the spot.

Newt did and found a card with a Beagle puppy in a party hat with a colourful ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top. The inside had a crudely drawn stick figure with the word ‘Bowtruckle’ written next to it, followed by lots of X’s.

“(Y/N)…” Newt was almost speechless. “It’s lovely, thank you. I-I think it’s broken though, the- the pictures aren’t moving.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s supposed to be like that. Muggle cards don’t move.”

“Oh, right.” Sometimes Newt tended to forget that you were muggle born, “Hey um, what are the X’s?”

“They’re kisses, silly.”

“K-Kisses!”

“Yep,” You continued, oblivious to the Newt’s growing panic, as well as the red spreading over his cheeks that wildly contrasted his ashy brown hair, “We put them in our cards when we’re friends or family with people. Don’t wizards do that?”

“I-I-I’m not entirely sure. I d-don’t often s-send cards.”

“Hey, you’re stuttering, are you okay? Oh, are you unwell?”

You placed your hand on Newt’s forehead. He backed up as far as he could against the wall, leaning as far as he could. “Come on Newt, stay still, you’re too tall for me to reach up there.” You pandered, “If you’re unwell it’s okay, we can go to the hospital wing.”

“I-I’m fine, I just liked the card, that’s all.” Newt’s voice was still fairly squeaky until you relented and backed off, giving him some room to breathe.

“Alright. Oh, I need to give you your gift.”

“Y-you got me a gift?”

“Of course I did, now close your eyes, I left it at the bottom of the stairs so you wouldn’t see it.”

Newt did as ordered while you hefted his gift up the spiral staircase. You set the gift down in front of him with a light thud. “I uh, couldn’t find anything to wrap it in,” You stated, “but you can open your eyes now.”

Once again, Newt followed your instruction. In front of him sat a brown suitcase. He reached out for it delicately, stroking the smooth leather in awe, “(Y/N), it’s beautiful.”

While Newt truly did find it to be the best thing he had ever received, he would have said the same thing about any item presented to him by you, even if it were just a leaf you liked; any gift from you was sure to be precious.

“That’s not the best part.” You twitched excitedly. “It’s enchanted, you can climb in it and everything. Not sure why you would, but you never know. It’s so you can travel like you wanted. I know you can’t really use it now but when you’re older you can go everywhere and have enough room to keep, like an entire house in there. There’s even a muggle mode so they won’t catch on.”

Newt looked up to you guiltily, “(Y/N)… Those kinds of enchantments don’t come cheap… How much did you-”

“Not another word Scamander, this is my gift to you – no returns or exchanges. The cost doesn’t matter.” You folded your arms to show that you meant it. It truly didn’t matter that you’d saved up for the better part of a year to buy him the gift, your logic being that you didn’t have any other friends to buy for since they avoided you because of Newt.

“Thank you (Y/N), thank you.”

Newt wanted to hug you for the thoughtful gift, instead he reached out, unsure of what to do, pulled back his hand temporarily, then settled for patting your shoulder awkwardly. You smiled brightly, as far as you were concerned Newt had practically jumped on you in his own way; any form of contact was his very own, anxious way of showing affection.

* * *

 

**Third Year**

Newt searched the castle grounds frantically for you. He had heard about a particularly rough interaction between you and another student over your muggle heritage and although the stories of what had happened changed between each passing student, one thing was for sure, you hadn’t come out on top.

“Excuse me. Pardon me. Please let me through.” Newt rushed past the milling students, searching over the tops of their heads in the hope of finding the merest glimpse of you.

“Oy, creature lover, looking for that filthy excuse of a date you have?” A Slytherin heckled, much to the delight of several other students.

Newt froze in front of the Slytherin, wishing that he could be braver or even simply look the other student in the eye, “(S)he’s not my- Never mind… W-where i-is (s)he?”

The student sneered, proceeding to take the mick out of Newt’s stutter, “T-t-try the b-b-b-broom closet where all the l-l-losers b-b-belong.”

Newt rushed to the nearest broom closet where he could hear you whimpering from within. The throng of students had since dispersed, each heading to their own classes.

“(Y/N), is that you in there?” Newt called through the door.

“Go away.” You yelled through a muffled sob.

“(Y/N), please come out. At least tell me what happened, please? I promise there’s no one else here, it’s just me.”

“No. Go away Newt. I don’t want to talk.”

“I’m not leaving (Y/N), not until you tell me what happened.”

There was a long pause before you answered. “I lied to you.”

“About what?”

“Every time I said it didn’t hurt when I got called names. Why does it even matter what my parents are? WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE MUGGLES?”

“… I don’t hate muggles. In fact, I think muggles are wonderful. (Y/N), I’ve seen you fight your way through three years of this, whatever’s happened now can’t be too bad really can it. Now come on, come out here.”

“I’m not coming out.”

“Then let me in.” The words came out as a frantic plea.

There was no sound for what felt to Newt like an eternity, during which he feared he had lost you. Then, much to his relief, he heard the latch click open. When Newt entered, he slammed the door behind him, locking it as promised. The second he saw your face he knew the reason you were so upset. Words such as ‘freak’, ‘pathetic’, ‘worthless’, and worst of all ‘mudblood’ were scrawled over every inch of your face with a scabbing spell; the resulting scabs leaving trails of blood mixed with tears down your previously smooth skin.

“Oh (Y/N).” Newt whispered, reaching out cautiously.

The gentle tone of his voice brought on a fresh bout of tears, you collapsed into his arms. Newt held you tightly against him, slowly lowering himself and you to the floor while you wept. For once in his life, Newt never had to wonder what to do or how to do it, the time spent with his animals had taught him to gently stroke your hair and whisper soothingly.

It was after that day that you allowed yourself to be more vulnerable around Newt, so long as it was just him. In those moments, Newt was always a natural at calming you down and cheering you up with various random facts.

* * *

 

**Fourth Year**

When the fourth year rolled in, the school announced that the fourth years and above would be taking part in a Christmas Ball.

Ever since the announcement students had flocked to their sweethearts to ask them out and in truth you yourself had received a few surprising invites; each of which you’d turned down in the hopes that Newt would ask you.

Newt had spent endless nights pacing around the empty common room thinking of ways he could ask you to the ball without stuttering or messing the thing up entirely. Should he ask you as a friend even though he wanted to be so much more? If he asked you would he be too scared to dance, to touch you? Would you kiss him? Would you punch him? Could he be bold? Was it wrong to ask by owl? There were simply too many unforeseen possibilities, too many questions. As such, he left it, convincing himself that he would ask you the next time he saw you; it was always ‘next time.’

The days rolled by, turning into weeks. Most students already had their dates, outfits, and entire evenings planned out and you were still alone, hanging your hopes on Newt. You had long since caught onto his crush on you, he was hardly subtle about it, and from your long time spent with him you definitely had feelings for him in return.

One week away from the ball you were lying awake in your dormitory when you heard a crash from the common room, followed by a muffled “Bugger.” You grinned, getting up from bed to find Newt; it was honestly a miracle that he hadn’t woke any of the other students or if he had then they didn’t care enough to check out the source of the sound.

When you reached the common room, you saw that Newt had tripped over one of the many throw pillows left by the other students.

“Lumos.” You whispered, summoning a bright light from your wand.

Newt shifted backwards, tripping into a yellow beanbag with a mumbled “Oh dear.”

“Newt, calm down, it’s just me.”

“(Y/N)? Oh, thank God, I thought I was going to get in trouble for being out past curfew.”

“Yeah well… Hang on, what happened to your shirt? Jeez Newt, you’re bleeding. Give me a sec.”

You cast your wand around the room, lighting the candles and bringing light the room once more. Upon closer inspection, you saw that Newt’s hair was dishevelled, he was covered in dried mud, and that three large gashes ran from his neck to his stomach; fortunately, they weren’t too deep.

You sighed despondently. During your years with Newt, you had become handy with medicinal magic, learning it after you’d seen his other injuries. Some had left scars where you had been too inexperienced or had done a quick patch job but more often than not you had healed him to perfection.

“Alright,” you nodded, “Take off your shirt, let me see what I’m working with here.”

Newt turned crimson, averting his gaze from you. Although you had seen it all before he still got embarrassed every time you had to treat one of his injuries; mainly because it usually involved him removing an article of clothing. Nevertheless, he did as instructed, removing his tattered shirt and getting up to sit on the desk chair where you usually treated him.

“How’d it happen this time?” you asked, stroking lightly at the edge of the first scratch with your thumb to see how deep it truly was.

“Just found out that you need to bow to a hippogriff first. Didn’t get away in time.” Newt muttered in response.

“Ah, I see. Was it Jerry?” You summoned a sponge and water from across the room to clean the wound before healing it.

“J-Jerry?” Newt stuttered, trying not to focus on the shivers your warm touch brought.

“Black one with white tips, when we were watching them I named her Jerry.”

“N-no. I-it was the g-g-grey one with s-speckles.”

“Ah, that would be Wilson. Hmm?” You grunted.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I could use Terago to stop any further bleeding but healing this is tricky, maybe if I combine it with… Yes, that should do it.”

You pointed your wand to the injury, “Terago,” the remaining blood cleared away, “Episkey. Reparifors.”

As suspected, the three spells combined worked to a positive effect, leaving only sore red marks where the gashes had been.

“Alrighty then,” you grinned proudly, “you are good to go Mr Scamander.”

“(Y/N) wait,” Newt shot up off the chair, finally ready to ask you the question that had been weighing on him for weeks. “I know a few people have already a-asked you but i-if you h-haven’t answered them yet then m-maybe y-you could t-tell me, w-would you p-please… um, would y-you uh… lend me y-your potions homework.” He finished lamely, mentally cursing himself for being such a cowardly fool.

You released the breath you’d been holding, shaking your head with a weak smile; clearly you were going to have to take the upper hand. “Sure. By the way, I have something to ask you.”

“What?” he sighed dejectedly, still disappointed in his failure.

“Would you like to go to the Christmas Ball with me?”

“What?! No!”

You raised your eyebrows, “No?”

“Not no. I mean yes but… Oh God I ruined it. I was supposed to ask you and then you did and this is all my fault. I couldn’t just get the courage to ask you because then it would have been perfect and everything would have been-”

You could have watched Newt babble the night away but you decided to end his suffering quickly, “Newt, sweetie, calm down. It really doesn’t matter who asks who, does it?”

“Well… No, I suppose not.”

“So? Is it a yes?”

Newt reached out to hug you, barely hesitating at all now, “Yes.”

 

 


	2. A Christmas Ball

You awaited Newt’s arrival at the bottom of the stairs which met the Entrance Hall. So far, you had seen multitudes of giggling girls and suave boys coupling up to enter the main hall and begin their celebrations but you were still alone, standing next to a suit of armour as if it would somehow protect you from the piercing stares. Many of the passing students made snide comments about your missing date, stating such things as, “The creature’s probably marrying a flobberworm,” or “Even he couldn’t stand a muggle born.” While the comments themselves didn’t bother you, you did have to wonder where Newt was. Was it possible that he had got too nervous to come? Would he ever do that to you? Was he away visiting one of his animals? You forced the questions out of your mind; Newt was a lot of things, mainly forgetful and a little oblivious when it came to others, but he had never once hurt you, and nor would he. You had to believe that at the very least.

* * *

 

Newt threw his trunk open, searching frantically for a suitable tie that would match his blue dress-robes. He did have a tie prepared but only two days before the Christmas ball, a Cornish pixie he had been keeping escaped its confinement and destroyed the tie, as well as several books, the dormitory pillows, and a few posters that previously covered the walls.

“Bugger,” he muttered to the empty room, “I’m already a mess and I haven’t even got there yet. What’s (Y/N) going to think?”

“ _Well,_ ” he thought, “ _At least the ball doesn’t start for another…_ ”

A glance at his pocket watch revealed that the ball had started thirty-five minutes ago, while he was searching for a tie, “Oh no!” Newt squeaked, scrambling up to get to the Main Hall’s entrance, where he was supposed to meet you.

“ _How could I screw this up?_ ” Newt screamed mentally as he raced through the castle, “ _I’m literally the biggest idiot Hogwarts has ever seen._ ”

It was exactly 47 minutes into the ball when Newt reached the stairway where he was supposed to meet you. He cast his eyes around the room helplessly, scanning every inch repeatedly when he didn’t see you the first time. “(S)he’s gone…” he whispered despairingly.

His shoulders slumped as dewy tears threatened to flow unchecked.

“Newt.” You tapped his shoulder lightly.

Newt spun round with a distressed screech. You stood before him in an outfit of emerald satin, and for one fleeting moment Newt found himself comparing your apparel to the sumptuous scales of the Common Welsh Green dragon that he had read so much about.

“You were in such a rush that you ran right past me.” You chuckled, the movement making your outfit shimmer all the more. You looked Newt up and down, taking in his tousled hair and crumpled dress robes. His cheeks were red from the run and he looked entirely worn out; despite everything, his unkempt appearance only served you to find him more attractive if anything. “You look great.” You complimented, eyes aglow.

There were many words Newt wanted to describe you with, breath-taking, enchanting, and radiant topped the endless list, however he couldn’t manage a single one of them; he was too astounded by the fact that you had waited this long… for him. It was truly overwhelming that he could possibly find another reason to adore you.

“Hmm… Something’s missing though,” You continued, unconcerned by his silence, “I heard about a ‘mysterious creature’ wrecking they boys’ dorm. I wonder where that could have come from.”

The corners of Newt’s mouth twitched into a jittery grin.

“And I heard about a destroyed tie in the wreckage. Long story short, it gave me an excuse to get this.”

You held out a thin, black bow tie. Newt stared at the item, simultaneously loving it and hating himself for another one of his recent failings, “I um- I accidentally left your gift in the Forbidden Forest when I was- I’m sorry (Y/N), I messed it up again and I-”

“Shh.” You cut him off before he lost himself to another self-depreciating rant, “What matters is that you’re here. I couldn’t ask for more, now stay still a moment so I can sort this.”

Newt froze, the inside of his mouth turned dry, and a chill ran down his spine as you reached up to fix the bow tie around his neck. You were sure he could have completed the task himself but it didn’t change the fact that you wanted the intimacy of putting it on him yourself; you had even practised tying it on the bed post for the first few nights you had it until you knew how to do it properly.

“Th-thank you (Y/N). You- you are- you… It’s wonderful.”

You smiled and looked around to the few surrounding couples, each were holding hands. If you waited for Newt to take your hand, then you probably would have been left waiting all night. It was with that in mind that you offered your hand to him, he took it gingerly, hoping against all hopes that by the end of the night he would gain the confidence to ask you a question that had been on his mind since his second year as your friend.

Upon entering the main hall, you didn’t know where to look first; it was a feast to the eyes. Snow fell from the enchanted ceiling, ice sculptures were nestled between the punch bowls with tiny, enchanted, ice people skating atop them, the most extravagant Christmas tree you had ever seen stood in the corner, and couples were constantly weaving through the maze of circular tables to make their way to the dance floor where enchanted instruments were playing themselves.

“Woah…” You whispered in awe.

Newt’s eyes lit up when he saw your amazement. Although he felt uncomfortable at the prospect of a social gathering, your delight made it worthwhile, “I take it that you’ve never been to a ball like this?”

“Not in the muggle world, that’s for sure.”

“Yes, it’s truly…” he trailed off as his eyes travelled to someone else.

You followed his gaze over to another student, one you knew of but had never spoken too, Leta Lestrange. “You know her?”

“Uh, y-yes. We uh recently started talking during Care of Magical Creatures. We were paired together that day you had the flu.”

“That day I had the flu? Newt, that was last year, that is by no means recent. I can’t believe you haven’t introduced me to her.” You tried to keep the jibe playful, although you were a little hurt that he hadn’t at least mentioned Leta before.

“I meant to, it’s just that she’s a little… shy.”

You glanced at the Slytherin who was surrounded by other students, all in avid conversation with her, “She seems pretty good with them.”

“She told me once that she has to keep up appearances, being a Lestrange and all. Still, no matter. Uh- What-” He swallowed thickly, fighting through his nerves to ask you his question, “What do we do now? I’ve never been good at these sorts of things.”

“Well, considering we don’t have anyone but each-other to talk too and since the food isn’t out yet, how about we take Professor Dumbledore’s lead?”

Newt searched the room for one of the school’s most unconventional teachers. Professor Dumbledore was impossible to miss as the tallest member on the dance floor and the only adult there. He was in sequined, lilac dress-robes, doing his very own unusual dance which seemed to be a sort of sped up waltz with lots of spins and jumps thrown haphazardly in.

Newt shuffled backwards, almost bumping into another student, his eyes were wide and his mouth agape, “Y-Y-You mean d-dance?”

You smiled knowingly, “It’s really okay if you don’t want to Newt, we can just sit and talk if you’d prefer.”

“…No. We should dance, it’s what…” He struggled to avoid the word couples, “…people do.”

Before you had asked him to dance, Newt had intended to ask you; he was simply biding his time until he could manage the question. You beamed at him as he took your hand, leading you to the dance floor; there were a few curious stares on the way but it seemed that everyone was in too good a mood to make any more unpleasant comments as they had earlier.

The second the two of you stepped onto the dance floor it was almost as if the instruments sensed a change in mood, for the fast-paced tune previously playing ended abruptly, switching instead to a slower, more romantic one. As per usual, Newt had no idea what counted for acceptable, social conduct. His hands began twitching nervously as he looked from your waist to your back, wondering which he was supposed to hold.

“ _Is it only couples who hold the waist? What if I do it wrong and (s)he notices? Oh dear, I know (s)he got other invitations here, what if they notice how incapable I am and cut in? Would (s)he go with them instead?_ ” Newt’s mind reeled with the thoughts that were bombarding it, until everything was silenced by your gentle touch.

You had taken his hands, placing one on your waist and keeping hold of the other, meanwhile your free hand was left to travel to his shoulder. It took Newt all his strongest efforts to stop his hands from the trembling that they seemed so desperate to do. From there, Newt shuffled awkwardly around, never in time with the music, and often mumbling apologies when he stood on your feet or tripped over his own. It wasn’t long before one of his worst fears came to life; he stumbled too far away from the dance floor, tripping over a chair leg, onto the floor and bringing you down on top of him.

It only took one student’s derisive scream of, “LOOK, THE CREATURE CAN’T EVEN WAIT FOR MATING SEASON!” to bring the entire hall into raucous laughter.

Newt couldn’t make himself look at anything other than the floor. He just wanted time to stop, or the ability to disapparate and never return; surely, no amount of heinous torture could feel worse than this. Perhaps by the end of the night, he could find someone to obliviate his memory, that had to be better than the unbearable ridicule, right?

You pushed yourself off Newt, then offered your hand to him, forcing him to look at you. Once again, he found himself perplexed by your eyes. In them lay no embarrassment, no pity, and certainly no hatred for his mistake; instead, your gaze held only concern. Concern that unlike you, your friend wasn’t going to be okay, concern that this moment would make him revert to his previously insecure demeanour around you, and above all, concern that you wouldn’t be able to stop his pain.

When he didn’t take your hand, you grasped his arm, forcing him to get up.

“See Newt,” you exclaimed loudly, for all to hear, “I told you I couldn’t pull off moves like Dumbledore.”

As you had suspected, Dumbledore took the vocal que to speak up, turning the crowd’s attention to himself, “No matter, (Y/N),” he used your first name since it was an informal occasion, “It took me years to perfect those moves and I still fall now and again myself. Perhaps, one day, you will be as agile as me, however for now at least, we should put the dancing aside and feast.”

With a clap of Dumbledore’s hands, the circular tables filled with luxurious foods, causing most of the students to depart the dance floor, with barely stifled snorts.

You leaned in close to Newt, with a whisper that tickled his ears, “You okay?”

Much to his surprise, Newt found that he was truly feeling better than just a few moments ago, “Yes… a little.”

“Great, then how about we skip the food and take a walk outside, I don’t really feel like sitting with anyone other than you anyway.”

“Wait… what about the other dance? The one after dinner?”

“It’s no problem Newt, you don’t have to dance just for me. I don’t mind. Honestly.”

“No but- We have to dance. Tonight. At the end.”

You were puzzled by Newt’s sudden urge to dance, especially after the embarrassment he had just suffered, yet you held no argument, deciding that you’d get to the bottom of it later, “All right Newt, if it means that much to you then we can come back in time for the last dance. We can still go for a walk now though, if you want.”

Newt visibly relaxed. Frankly, he never wanted to dance again but there was a tradition based on a myth at the Hogwarts Christmas ball, one that every student knew about; every student except you, so it seemed. The myth was that the person you asked to the last dance was the one person you were destined to be with, and even though nobody believed in the myth, it had become a tradition to ask out your crush at the end of the last dance.

* * *

The illusion of snow indoors had not prepared you for the cold that sliced through you when you stepped out into the dark night’s icy air. You visibly shuddered, an action which Newt, who seemed almost unaffected, couldn’t miss.

“Are you alright?” He asked, a worried edge to his voice.

“Sure, I uh, just forgot how cold it is to be honest, stupid mistake during the middle of winter really.”

“Of course, how foolish of me, your outfit doesn’t even have sleeves. Here, take my coat.”

Newt hurried to remove his cloak-like coat, wrapping it around your shoulders before you could protest. Warmth seeped into you, taking away the cold in a way you hadn’t thought possible, “Jeez Newt, you always this warm?”

“It’s the robes. The entire outfit actually; it was enchanted to keep the wearer warm, no matter how cold it is. I got it done for a small fee at Madame Malkin’s, she was offering it to all Hogwarts students on discount.”

The two of you continued walking while you spoke, “Wow, I tend to forget just how handy wizards are. Sometimes it makes me feel stupid because all of this is common knowledge and I get a little bit left behind in the muggle world.”

“No! (Y/N), you’re the smartest person I’ve met. Ever. I bet there’s not a single wizard born student here that could have taught me to use a telephone like you did.”

You smiled a little sadly, “There’s about a dozen ways to communicate in the wizarding community, even through a fireplace.”

“Okay, then what about all the things you’ve learnt about magical creatures?”

“I love it but that’s all from you.”

“It doesn’t matter where you learnt it, just that you enjoy it, and if none of that counts then I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anyone else our age who taught themselves advanced medical magic beyond our level; I’m living proof of your skills in that.”

You had to giggle at the efforts Newt was going through to cheer you up, “Thanks, you really made my day.”

“If anyone deserves praise it’s you. After all, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met… inside and out.” He murmured the last part, like he was in a trance.

Newt came to a halt, you turned to face him curiously. He seemed to be looking at you differently, more intensely than usual. You had never seen him look at you like that before, it could almost be described as confidence.

“ _I didn’t stutter._ ” Newt thought, stunned at the achievement, “ _Forget_   _the dance. Now’s the time, out here, where it’s quiet, where I can just be myself without anyone watching._ ”

“Is something wrong?” you asked hesitantly.

“No.” Newt spoke with ease, optimistic that he had chosen the right moment to speak his mind once and for all, “(Y/N), I need you to know that nobody makes me feel like you do; with you I can be myself all the time. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk this well again so um, (Y/N), will you be-”

“OW!” The wand in Newt’s coat burned fiercely against your skin, causing you to cry out in pain.

Newt visibly deflated as his speech was interrupted. You pulled the wand from its pocket to find that it was shooting out brightly coloured sparks.

“Oh My God!” Newt cried aloud, “Now? It’s happening now?”

You couldn’t tell if it was excitement or distress in his voice as he yelled at the wand.

“We have to go.” Newt grabbed your hand, pulling you off the path, into the shin deep snow below; even the coat couldn’t protect you from the biting cold that attacked your legs.

You didn’t have to ask Newt where he was taking you because there was only one destination in the direction you were heading; the two of you were going to the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

If it was anyone else dragging you into the Forbidden Forest at night, during heavy snowfall, you would have called them mad and run off. However, this wasn’t anyone else, this was Newt; this was somebody you trusted with your life. After only a few minutes the two of you were could run no longer, the snow had reached your knees, leaving you both fighting to get to your destination.

“What’s so important that we have to go into the Forbidden Forest right now?” You requested through chattering teeth.

“Do you remember the Augurey eggs we found a few weeks ago?”

You thought back to the beginning of the month, when the snow had only just begun to dust the ground. You had been in the forest helping Newt capture the Cornish pixie that so fiendishly destroyed the boys’ dormitory, when the two of you stumbled on the fresh corpse of a vulture-like bird with murky green and black plumage. Newt had told you that the bird was a female Augurey, and that he suspected it had been shot by a centaurs’ arrow, then bled out after escaping; most of it was mere speculation from the state of the bird’s body. It only took a little searching to find five, black eggs, nestled in a nearby thorn bush. After that the two of you made regular return trips to check on the eggs, keep them warm, and hide them from predators.

“Yeah,” you panted, “What about them?”

“They’re hatching.”

“Now?! How? They aren’t supposed to hatch till January, the hunting guide said so.”

“I know. I think they’re premature, which means they need us now more than ever; if they hatch in this they’ll die, we need to get them somewhere safe until the snow clears up.”

“Okay.”

The two of you waded further into the forest, glad for the cover that the trees provided; it was because of the cover that the snow receded to your ankles, making the rest of the trip easier in comparison to the earlier trek. When you got to the eggs, large chips and cracks had formed in the shells, showing thin, wet feathers underneath. There was a chorus of young, warbling chirps, while you and Newt shielded the thorn bush with your bodies, keeping the glacial winds out. The remainder of the egg hatching lasted only around ten minutes though the bitter cold made it feel a lot longer. By that point you had retrieved your wand from the inside of your outfit and summoned a blue fire over the nest to warm the hatchlings when they showed themselves.

“We can’t walk them back until the storm’s over.” You stated, “I’m going to put up a barrier spell to keep out the snow.”

Newt nodded gratefully, never taking his eyes off the eggs. Once the transparent dome was safely up, you leaned against Newt, sure that you both must be dishevelled messes.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Newt whispered in relief upon seeing the five healthy chicks leave their shells.

You grinned with tired eyes as the chicks cautiously approached you both.

“Hello,” Newt greeted in a high voice, “Yes, hello, that’s it, come to mummy.”

The chicks looked from you to Newt, taking tentative steps closer, apparently indecisive to which of you was “mummy.” Two of the chicks chose you while the remaing three approached Newt, then with a decisive hop, they jumped into the laps of their respective parents.

“Hi little ones.” You cooed, “Welcome to the world, you’re a little bit early but we love you anyway.”

Newt was stroking the tops of their heads with a maternal murmur of, “They’re so precious.”

“Yeah.” You agreed, resting your head on his shoulder, “Look at our children Newt, we did it, we protected them.”

Newt went rigid by your side, “O-our c-children?”

“Well, aren’t they? We’re going to raise them and look after them after all.”

“I-uh I suppose they are… y-yes, our ch-children.”

“Glad that’s settled. Now, before I pass out or something we have to name them. Girls or boys, I don’t care, these two are Steve and Lucy.”

“R-right. In that case I s-suppose m-mine are Will, Evie, and Phillip.”

“Perfect.” You yawned, finally giving into the exhaustion and falling asleep against Newt.

Newt shuffled awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. It took him quite a bit of manoeuvring to settle against a nearby tree with you in his arms and five chicks on top of you, especially since his three were trying to get back to his lap. Admittedly, the storm had also drained him of energy but he couldn’t rest, not after the night’s events with you, not after you had so freely used the words, “Our children.” With that keeping him awake, Newt found it better to just lay with you, enjoying the serenity that the dome brought with it.

* * *

Distant explosions woke you with a start, Newt held you back so you wouldn’t roll onto the chicks who had taken to eating a small pile of bugs on the ground next to you; you looked to Newt’s grime covered hands, figuring that he must have dug for bugs while you slept.

“The fireworks mean the ball’s finished.” Newt commented, answering your question before you could even ask it.

“Right… I wonder the teachers would say if they saw us like this.” You gestured to your outfits which were stained, torn, and covered in filth.

Newt didn’t answer, instead he moved onto a different subject that had evidently been troubling him, “(Y/N)… I have to know… Are you angry right now?”

“What? No. Why would I be angry?”

“We missed the last dance… actually we missed most of the ball.”

You turned face him, “Newt, I don’t care about some stuffy old ball, we’re out here protecting lives that nobody else cares about, that’s way more worthwhile than some bloody ball. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’d rather be with you anyway.”

The sincerity and passion in your voice touched Newt in a way he couldn’t possibly describe. Twice in one night he had missed his opportunity to tell you his feelings, this time he was determined to get it right. He glanced down at your lips, incapable of thinking about anything else, and with one swift movement he moved to kiss you.

“Ow-” You rubbed your eye where Newt had just headbutted you upon missing his target.

“Bugger- I mean sorry…” He sighed despondently, “Sorry.”

“What was that meant to be?”

“I was t-trying to- your lips, they- I missed and-”

You pieced together his meaning, grinning once more as Newt stammered through his sentence.

“I c-couldn’t j-just get it right, I had to bugger it up-”

Your warm lips pressed against his cool cheek, silencing him, the familiar blush you had come to love covered his face, and words once again failed him.

“If it helps, I can stay still this time.” You teased.

Newt’s movements were jerky as he cupped your cheeks with shaking hands, clumsily pulling you into an inexperienced kiss; you could feel yourself smiling into the kiss as his teeth knocked against yours. Newt couldn’t believe it wasn’t a dream, the night had gone from one disaster to another but here you were despite it all, choosing him over everything else; it was that moment that he had never been more thankful for the clumsy student who had crashed into him during the first year, inevitably becoming his friend.


	3. Expulsion!

You pelted through the empty hallways of Hogwarts at full speed, barely aware of the tears that stung your cheeks; all you were aware of was your need to find Newt. Fortunately, most other students were in classes and the ones that weren’t seemed to be elsewhere, leaving the hallways clear for your search. You had been heading to class when you’d heard the ghosts talking of what could be Newt’s expulsion, and although you didn’t know what had caused it, you were resolute in your need to stop it from happening.

“Ooooooh. Lookie what we have here, a student out of class, my, my, that is naughty now isn’t it.” The puckish voice of Peeves the Poltergeist resounded around you. “It would be a shame if a teacher found you.”

“Peeves!” You exclaimed agitatedly. “I don’t have time for you right now, I have to find-”

“That ickle snot Newt-y.” Peeves flew through a disgruntled painting, hovering in front of you.

“Do you know where he is?”

Peeves laughed derisively at your request for help, “Ickle Newt is getting the boot.”

Anger flared inside you, “Ugh, enough of this, where is he?”

“I could tell you or I could call the teachers because a certain student is skipping classes.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I can do anything I want and no little snot nose is going to stop me.” Peeves cupped his hands over his mouth, ready to holler until a teacher came.

“WAIT!”

The poltergeist inspected you maliciously, waiting for your last words before making good on his promise.

“I know where the caretaker hid an entire supply of dung bombs and Filibuster fireworks, if you tell me where Newt is, I’ll tell you where those are, deal?”

Peeves flashed a wicked grin, “Troublesome Newt-y boy is in your common room, your turn.”

“Caretaker hid the stuff in the staff room coat cupboard, I saw when I was last there.”

Peeves didn’t bother with you any further, he flew away through the walls, clearly eager to cause further mayhem. You meanwhile, headed straight for the common room, hoping that Peeves had kept his end of the bargain and told the truth.

* * *

Much to your relief, Newt was indeed in the common room, he had taken to wearing his everyday robes, and his suitcase was at his feet as he whispered comforting words to the Augurey’s inside; the two of you had taken to hiding the bird’s in the case when you found that they wailed before rainfall.

“Now, now babies, it’s okay, mummies right here, no need to worry.” Newt whispered soothingly into the case.

“Newt.” You approached, he jolted in shock, turning to face you with doleful eyes.

“(Y/N)!”

“Tell me it isn’t true Newt, tell me the ghosts are wrong and you haven’t been expelled.”

“I… I can’t.”

“Why? What happened? I don’t under-”

“(Y/N), please don’t make this harder. I- I don’t really want to say how this happened… it was more of an unfortunate event really and, well, now I have to face the consequences.”

“No. Look, I can go to the headmaster, I can tell him you didn’t do anything, I can-”

“Dumbledore already tried that and he’s a teacher, I don’t think there’s anything else to do now.”

Frustration gnawed at you due to the helpless situation, “We can’t just accept this.”

“What else is there to do?”

Fresh tears blurred your vision, you closed the gap between yourself and Newt, gripping him in a tight hug as your tears soaked his shirt. Newt was left speechless, he had seen you cry before but never at his expense. He fought his own tears, all the while stroking your hair and kissing the top of your head for what could be the last time; he had already settled on the fact that once he left Hogwarts you would forget the childish romance you had shared and move on to somebody else… somebody better.

After your hideous sobs subsided into minor weeping, you managed to speak through shaky breaths, “Are they going to destroy your wand?”

“No, Dumbledore convinced the ministry to apprentice me for two years; so long as I do everything they say, I’ll be free to keep my wand.”

“So, you’re stuck here… What about travelling though? It’s your dream.”

“I will travel… just after my apprenticeship. For now, I suppose I should lay low and follow orders… It could be worse.”

You pulled away slightly to look at Newt, “Promise me something.”

Newt searched your face, his brow creasing, “Anything.”

“Promise… Promise you’ll wait for me.”

“What?! No. (Y/N), that’s mad. Y-Y-You’ll have m-moved on with your life by th-then. F-found someone else to be with.”

You shook your head, “No… not after everything we’ve been through. Newt, I- I love you.”

Newt really did want to cry now, he had fantasised so often of you saying those words in dreams of dates, meeting parents, and marriage; they all rotated around those three words. Yet now you were saying them, he felt selfish for stealing them, as if you were only saying them because he had prevented you from meeting someone else.

He let go of you, pushing you away gently, “N-no (Y/N), there are m-millions of other p-people for y-you-”

“Millions of people but only one you. You’re all I want Newt… please wait for me.”

“I- I’m sor-”

“Newton Artemis Fido Scamander,” Your voice still cracked when speaking, “I love you.”

Newt quivered at hearing his name in full. While he would’ve argued further he was incapable of doing so as your lips crashed against his. Newt still held no hope of retaining your love, however, with your soft lips against his, he couldn’t resist the idea that you could want him, even if it would fade after he left.

“I love you too.” He murmured, after pulling away from you once more.

“So, you’ll wait?”

“Forever.”

“Thank you.”

The two of you stood for a while, content in the silence until disturbed by the clearing of a throat behind you. You turned to see Professor Dumbledore at the barrel entrance, it was the first time you’d ever seen him in black robes and without his usual smile; it was disconcerting knowing he was there to escort Newt out of Hogwarts.

“Excuse my interruption,” Dumbledore spoke solemnly, “but alas the time has come for Mr Scamander to leave Hogwarts. However, seeing as nobody else is here to notice my arrival, I will give to two of you five more minutes to say your goodbye’s. Mr Scamander, I will wait outside the common room, I’m sorry it has come to this.”

Dumbledore left as swiftly as he had entered, giving the two of you a final moment as promised.

Newt faced you once more, “I suppose this is-”

“Wait- Before you speak, I have to give you Steve and Lucy.” You referred to the Augureys that had marked you as their mother on the night of the Christmas ball.

“What? (Y/N) no, they’re your-”

“I know but we can’t split up a family Newt, besides, they’re old enough to be away from me and they know you. I don’t want to do this but I just know they’ll be found here without your case and then what’ll happen? They’ll be thrown out of the castle where they won’t survive because they’re hand reared.”

Newt thought through your reasoning, it was true that his case hid their mournful wails that announced the arrival of rain, “Are you sure?”

“I trust you to take care of our children Newt. Give it two years and I’ll be back for them, then we can travel the world and learn about everything else, just like we planned. Wait a sec and I’ll get them from my room.”

Newt nodded, hoping silently that you would take forever so he could delay saying goodbye. While he waited, he examined the common room that he used to be so uncomfortable with, now it held memories of the two of you after all the other students went to bed. There was the desk that you always treated his injuries at, the fireplace where the two of you would complete homework on cold nights, the sofa where you often rested on him, and the dormitory doors where you would kiss him goodnight before returning to your own room. A bittersweet blush crept to his cheeks, although you hadn’t accepted that it was goodbye for good, he had; a lot could change in two years and while he would wait for you as promised, he still held no hope that you would be there at the end.

* * *

Two years later, true to his word, Newt stood awkwardly outside the Leaky Cauldron waiting for you. He had never been surrounded by so many muggles before but he remained in the uncomfortable situation in-case you couldn’t find him in the unusually crowded pub; apparently, some team or other had won the Quidditch world cup and wizards all over the country were celebrating as a result.

In the time since his expulsion Newt had avoided seeing you so he wouldn’t accidentally let slip how much he hated his job in the ministry. Besides, although he thought of you daily, he worried that if he saw you again he would find himself in the same place he had been on the day he had to say goodbye; despite the fact that he was ready to be done with love, it certainly wasn’t done with him.

You waded through the London crowds, eager to get to the Leaky Cauldron where you could finally reunite with Newt. During your time at Hogwarts, you often sent him letters to tell him how things were going and ask how he and the Augureys were doing; you rarely got responses which led you to wonder if he had received any of the letters. The pub’s front was only a few feet in front of you, you broke into a huge grin when you saw the unmistakable form of Newt, he had grown much since leaving, but there was still no mistaking his wavy, honey hair and cumbersome posture; what really made you smile was that he still sported the black bow-tie you had given him.

As if he felt himself being watched, Newt turned his gaze to you before shaking his head, looking away, and doing a double take. He tilted his head to the side, searching your face as you made your way over; he had never seen you in muggle clothes before, they made you look different… amazing even.

“ _No Newt._ ” He reprimanded himself wordlessly, “ _(S)he’s here out of courtesy to say how foolish we were and that we’re not going to travel together anymore. I’m going to be alone… again. That’s okay though right? People find me annoying anyway, I wouldn’t want to drag (Y/N) down; it’s not like we’re kids in Hogwarts anymore._ ”

“Newt,” You ran over excitedly, pulling him into an all too familiar hug, “Man, I missed you.”

Newt remained ridged in your arms, his hands hovered uncertainly behind your back, clearly unsure of whether to return the hug. “(Y-Y/N).” He stuttered, suddenly feeling unprepared; he hadn’t expected the same warm reception that you had always given him at school.

You let go, realising how strange it must have felt for him, after all it had been a long time for you to be apart. “Wanna go somewhere? We can go wherever you want, I know you don’t care for people too much.”

“R-right um, I have a r-room in the L-leaky Cauldron, can we t-talk up there?”

“Sure, so long as I get to see my Augureys, you better have taken good care of them.” You winked, proceeding to follow him in.

The room that Newt had acquired was shabbier than expected, fitting in completely with the image the Leaky Cauldron upheld; from the looks of it you wondered if Newt had even slept in it at all, it appeared unused.

“I um, was going to w-wait till later to s-show you this but the Augureys- yes, the A-Augureys are this way.”

Newt opened his case on the floor, stepping inside and motioning for you to follow before disappearing. You complied, keen to see the creatures you had so sorely missed. Upon reaching the bottom of the case’s ladder your eyes were agog at the work Newt had done inside the case. There was now a wooden room with a cot, desk, and shelf which was empty except for a few common potion ingredients.

You examined the cot, “Is this where-”

“I’ve been staying? Y-yes, I um didn’t want the Augureys to get too lonely so…”

“Did you build all of this?”

At your apparent enthusiasm, Newt felt able to speak with more confidence just like he used to. It was like he was slipping into an old routine, “Yes, I also added a room for the Augureys so they can fly in the rain.”

“That’s incredible, and your desk, that’s where-”

“Where I can write my book, and do my research.”

“Excuse you, I think you mean our research.”

“Pardon?”

“Okay sure, I’ll admit that you’re the brains behind this but I didn’t forget what you’ve taught me and I expect that I’ll be doing a fair bit of research too when we leave.”

“I don’t- um, we?”

“Yeah, you remember right? I said wait for me, I presumed since you’re here today that you wanted to travel together like we always said… unless you don’t and I’m in the way right now.”

“N-no, it’s just- I mean it’s- Why haven’t you moved on?”

A poignant smile reached your face at Newt’s clear distress, you placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Look, I get that you’ve probably moved on from me and I get that we can’t be in the same place we were but… Well, it doesn’t change the fact that I still believe in you and in your work. Back in school, you inspired me Newt, I’ll never forget the night we spent in a storm protecting my- our children, or the passion in your eyes when you spoke about where you would go first. I want to be a part of that, if you’ll let me.”

“…I want that too.” He murmured. “Can you really live your life camping and never knowing what’s coming next though?”

“That’s what’ll make life an adventure.”

You reached up to caress Newt’s cheek, he had come intimately close to you without noticing. At your touch, he didn’t freeze or pull away, instead he gazed down at you with the dawning realisation that he most definitely still loved you and from the way you were standing there was a chance that you felt the same. While he wasn’t ready to be as forward as before, he now held the hope that your work together would bring you close again; it would certainly provide plenty of opportunities, so long as he could work up the courage once again.

“Right then, when shall we go?”

“Whenever you’re ready Mr Scamander.”

 


End file.
